Eidos confirms ‘10th Anniversary Edition’ of Tomb Raider

[MissLara2U]

Eidos Interactive, one of the world’s leading publishers and developers of entertainment software, confirms today that they are developing a special ‘10th Anniversary Edition’ of Tomb Raider.

The new game is being developed by Crystal Dynamics, who recently launched Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend on Xbox 360, PS2, Xbox, PC and PSP, with versions on Nintendo DS, GBA and GameCube later in 2006.

“Our ‘10th Anniversary Edition’ of Tomb Raider, is a one-off title to celebrate both Lara and Tomb Raider, it will appeal not only to the loyal fans of the Tomb Raider series but will also attract a totally new audience.” Said Larry Sparks, Head of Brands Management at Eidos.

Tomb Raider™ originally launched in 1996 and is still one of the best selling videogame franchises of all time, with over 30 million copies sold.

The special ‘10th Anniversary Edition’ of Tomb Raider will be available on PlayStation 2, PSP and PC.

[StarChampagne]

I know this won't appeal to everyone, but I would like to play it.

I never got very far on the original Tomb Raider Especially with the sound card issues I have, and I did attempt to sort it but still didn't quite work.

I'm very interested as to how this one will turn out... will it just be a cheap spin-off or will it recapture the glory?

[susan]

Thanks ML2U.

It is good news and we'll have to see how Crystal perform...

But at this stage I would rather the Core team have done the game. If I compare Legend to TR1/2, they just don't compare. Hopefully, they'll realise that and this time respect the source material more.

Personally I don't want to hear it from them how the old format was tired and what Core did wrong again. The fact that it's commercially viable to do this project completely NEGATES that old chestnut, hopefully once and for all.

No doubt however, someone will now step in and tell me how "Legend is how is it with games these days, and Crystal saved TR..." and so on....

Hurrah for diversity.

(Oh, and it doesn't say here but I keep hearing rumours of TR2 remake too. Can you imagine the Opera House, Wreck of Maria Dora and all those other underwater levels with upgraded graphics. It's too exciting! )

[akamatt]

Can't wait!

[shirl123]

Originally Posted by StarChampagne

will it just be a cheap spin-off or will it recapture the glory?

there's NO WAY it'll be as good as the original, unless it'll be as "revolutionary" as the first...and you all know it aint gonna happen. I'm guessing it's going to be more like a "tomb raider 1 - revisited".
this is a sad day...well, at least for moi.

thanks for the info anyway.

[Mangar The Dark]

Originally Posted by shirl123

there's NO WAY it'll be as good as the original,

Especially not if you approach it with that attitude. (why are some people so determined not to enjoy this? And why is it "a sad day"? Just don't buy it if you don't want it. There are tons of games I'm not interested in, but I don't get depressed everytime they're released, I just ignore them.)

Anyway, um, why aren't they releasing this for the Xbox? Aren't Legend's Xbox sales doing quite well? I'd love to get this remake, but I know my PC won't be able to handle it.

[shirl123]

Originally Posted by Mangar The Dark

Especially not if you approach it with that attitude. (why are some people so determined not to enjoy this? And why is it "a sad day"? Just don't buy it if you don't want it. There are tons of games I'm not interested in, but I don't get depressed everytime they're released, I just ignore them.)

never said anything about buying it.
look, I'm usually not passmistic, quite the opposite most of the time... but I am a passimist this time.
we're talking about the original...being completly diffrent. don't be naive and tell me "but it's all about the praphics!" because it wont - it's the game that made the series, one of the best games ever created, THE best game in the series...why modifying it in any way?
wouldn't it be better if they just released TR 1-6 + gold levels in one pack?
maybe I do care too much about it, probably because I have some sentimental feelings for the original - I was 11 when I first got into it, and it was in 1997.

[susan]

Originally Posted by Mangar The Dark

Anyway, um, why aren't they releasing this for the Xbox? Aren't Legend's Xbox sales doing quite well? I'd love to get this remake, but I know my PC won't be able to handle it.

It might have something to do with a previous deal with Sony. Remember how the early TR games were always PS exclusives? I know TR1 was on the Saturn too, but the use of TR1 may be tied up with Sony somehow still...

[Blue Skies]

BRING IT ON!!!!!!

Nice One

[Nerevar]

That "confirmation" was hardly unexpected for a listed company already having announced the development of that product...

But interesting to see it will also be available for the PC. Thanks for posting the news MissLara2U.

[Mangar The Dark]

Originally Posted by shirl123

never said anything about buying it.

But if you're not buying it, why are you sad about it? You can still play the original. It's not like after they release the new one, Eidos will send armed men to your house to take away all your old CD-ROMs.

we're talking about the original...being completly diffrent. don't be naive and tell me "but it's all about the praphics!" because it wont - it's the game that made the series, one of the best games ever created, THE best game in the series...why modifying it in any way?

Better question-- why not modify it? Like I said, you can still play the original. This will offer a new look at that game for people who want to experience it again with current technology. I know it's not all about the graphics, but I certainly have nothing against seeing the original with better graphics (also, TR1 had GREAT graphics for its time, and I think that certainly helped make it so immersive, so it is at least partly about the graphics.)

wouldn't it be better if they just released TR 1-6 + gold levels in one pack?

That would be a waste. Most of us already have those games, or we could buy them on Ebay. What would really be the sense in just rereleasing stuff we already own and played? But releasing a new version of TR1 offers us something we don't already have.

maybe I do care too much about it, probably because I have some sentimental feelings for the original - I was 11 when I first got into it, and it was in 1997.

Hey, I love TR, too, don't get me wrong. I got in 1997, and played it quite a bit throughout that summer (I had just finished college, and was on that brink between college and the real world.) But nobody is erasing my memories of that game, and nobody is saying I can't play it again whenever I want. So I don't see this remake as detracting from TR, I see it as adding to it.

[kksmith]

Good, it's definately coming to PC then.

I have a PS2 (not a PSP) but honestly if I wanted to buy the PS2 version I'd have gotten the PS2 version of Legends. PS2 is much inferior hardware-wise to my PC, and plus, I've always played Tomb Raider games on the PC. I see no reason to change that now

Hopefully they'll get this out in November (6th I think?) to meet the anniversary date

Especially not if you approach it with that attitude. (why are some people so determined not to enjoy this? And why is it "a sad day"? Just don't buy it if you don't want it. There are tons of games I'm not interested in, but I don't get depressed everytime they're released, I just ignore them.)

Anyway, um, why aren't they releasing this for the Xbox? Aren't Legend's Xbox sales doing quite well? I'd love to get this remake, but I know my PC won't be able to handle it.

I definately agree. It kind of makes me sad how many people hate Crystal Dynamics.

It's funny because the same day I bought Legend I also picked up Heroes of Might & Magic V - ironically ALSO a game being developed by someone other than the original creators (3DO is now defunct and Ubisoft bought the franchise). It's the same thing there - "Ubisoft ruined our Heroes of Might & Magic series!!!!" Whereas, aside from several bugs (which will be fixed eventually) I found the game quite fun.

Same thing here. I love TR: Legend. Sure it has some issues - in particular the shear number of human enemies and the length of the game. But these are not things that CD can't work out for future titles. I mean, cut them some slack, this was their first Tomb Raider game and it was *good*. If there is something you don't like about it, give them a chance to fix that in the next one. If they don't, *then* complain.

Anyways, as for the lack of Xbox support I was wondering that myself. But I suspect the reason for this is that Tomb Raider (the original) debuted on PC and PSX, so since this is an "Anniversary Edition" they are releasing it for those same platforms (once removed for PS2 of course - and PSP is Sony-owned). Capcom did the same with the Mega Man Anniversary Edition (released for GameCube and PS2 - since all those classic MM games were originally on Nintendo and Sony systems). But they *did* eventually make an Xbox version of that so who knows.

[Verios]

I'm curious to know exactly how long the original TR will actualy be if CD keeps all of Lara's spiffy new moves from TR:L

[susan]

Originally Posted by Mangar The Dark

Hey, I love TR, too, don't get me wrong. I got in 1997, and played it quite a bit throughout that summer (I had just finished college, and was on that brink between college and the real world.) But nobody is erasing my memories of that game, and nobody is saying I can't play it again whenever I want. So I don't see this remake as detracting from TR, I see it as adding to it.

I think what shirl (and correct me if I'm wrong shirl123) is trying to say is that when you think something is really great, you want other people to experience that greatness too. And once an updated version of TR1 is released, it will be most unlikely that any newcomer to the series will pick up the old TR1 in favour of the remade one.

So, if the remake is not as good as the first one they'll never know, and they'll never realize its true greatness...as such.

It's like people who get annoyed when cover versions of classic songs are released, and they know the old version is better.

Unfortunately though, what can you do shirl123? Time moves on.

I just hope Crystal remember to make every part of the game interactive like it is in the original, so that you can clamber up rocks and take false routes, and get lost, lost, lost (edit: Although not that I'll be getting lost I guess, I know this game too much, lol ). No painting backdrops for Lara to walk past this time please.

[Nerevar]

Originally Posted by Mangar The Dark

Better question-- why not modify it?

Because there's already far too many abysmal attempts at reviving or purportedly refining chefs-d'oeuvre, the majority resulting in sacrilegious transmogrifications? Twenty dactylographic monkeys could theoretically retype or even improve upon a Shakespearean play, but quite generally they just print out gibberish.

[Acceber]

Originally Posted by Blue Skies

BRING IT ON!!!!!!

Nice One

Seconded. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

[shirl123]

Originally Posted by Nerevar

Because there's already far too many abysmal attempts at reviving or purportedly refining chefs-d'oeuvre, the majority resulting in sacrilegious transmogrifications? Twenty dactylographic monkeys could theoretically retype or even improve upon a Shakespearean play, but quite generally they just print out gibberish.

that's in interesting way to put it...I agree.

Susan- thanks for clearing it up. I guess this is mostly for the NEW audience?

mangar, it's going to be FAR from the original, and it bothers me...
besides, the "big pack" worked for the Command & Conquer series I'm not sure if it would be such a waste here.

kksmith - actually, I LOVED TR Legend! I always believed in CD, even when most of the others were "upset" about it. this is why I said earlier that I'm usually not a passmist.

[Mangar The Dark]

Originally Posted by shirl123

mangar, it's going to be FAR from the original, and it bothers me...

Oh ok. I didn't know they already released such details about it (to be honest, this report is the first time I'm really hearing anything official about it), so I was just trying to be open-minded and giving them the benefit of the doubt that they might do a good remake.

But since you already have inside information that they're really going to screw it up, then I can see why you're not happy about it. Could you please tell us more details about how it's going to differ from the original? I think most of us here are curious. What specific changes are they making? Will it have different levels? Are they adding different types of enemies?

[shirl123]

Originally Posted by Mangar The Dark

...

oh, c'mon! that was low.

use your LOGIC sense. what are the chances that it'll be exactly the same?
nada. well, nada as long as they want it to be "up to date" [since some people think that almost everything in TR1 is "too old"]...and this is what they want to do.
they want to bring some new audience, not that I have a problem with that, but when it comes to a remake it means that the puzzles/controls/whatever will be changed.

[kksmith]

Originally Posted by shirl123

oh, c'mon! that was low.

use your LOGIC sense. what are the chances that it'll be exactly the same?
nada. well, nada as long as they want it to be "up to date" [since some people think that almost everything in TR1 is "too old"]...and this is what they want to do.
they want to bring some new audience, not that I have a problem with that, but when it comes to a remake it means that the puzzles/controls/whatever will be changed.

I hope it's not personally. I want to be similar yes, but even the original TR had its share of issues (control is a big one - I like Legend's control scheme a lot better).

People have said this before, but I think if you look at Metroid: Zero Mission, that's a perfect example of what a remake should be. I hope this remake is something along those lines - and by that I mean, take the basic level layout/design, then make some tweaks to it (new puzzles, etc) but not so many that it is not recognizable. You take the basic gameplay concepts (all the guns she got in that game, what she had to collect, etc) and keep those, but maybe add or improve on it. Take the basic story, but maybe flesh it out with more cutscenes or something.

Now keep in mind I'm not saying completely change the game, I just hope they "update" more than just the graphics is all.

[blincoln]

This is excellent news. I never thought I'd pre-order a TR game, but this will be the second =).

[enoch]

Haven´t read all the posts so maybe this is inapropriate; any info on the release date of the anniversary version?

[BloodRayne]

I haven't read the posts either.
But i'm really excited for this
so this will have like legend PS2 graphics?
and also legend's controls?

[Mangar The Dark]

Originally Posted by shirl123

use your LOGIC sense. what are the chances that it'll be exactly the same?

I certainly hope it's NOT exactly the same! What would be the sense in that? I already solved TR1, why should I replay it just because they're making it with prettier graphics? Like you said, it's not all about the graphics. What I'm hoping is that they'll take the story and spirit of TR1, and while the levels will be similar, I'm hoping they branch out and offer a NEW experience, not a rehash. For example, Lara has lots of moves now that she didn't have in TR1, so the levels should be redesigned to take advantage of those moves. And I want more puzzle-types, not just crate pushing. Legend has some interesting physics based puzzles-- maybe something like those could be incorporated into the remake.

[kksmith]

Originally Posted by Mangar The Dark

I certainly hope it's NOT exactly the same! What would be the sense in that? I already solved TR1, why should I replay it just because they're making it with prettier graphics? Like you said, it's not all about the graphics. What I'm hoping is that they'll take the story and spirit of TR1, and while the levels will be similar, I'm hoping they branch out and offer a NEW experience, not a rehash. For example, Lara has lots of moves now that she didn't have in TR1, so the levels should be redesigned to take advantage of those moves. And I want more puzzle-types, not just crate pushing. Legend has some interesting physics based puzzles-- maybe something like those could be incorporated into the remake.

Exactly, that's what I'm hoping for too.